Not all of these books are directly about therapy, but all of them have had a significant influence on the way that I conduct therapy. If you want to learn more about therapy, how I conduct therapy, or any topics from love to meaning to childhood trauma, check out the books below. The books below are some of the texts that I recommend my clients to read, and that have
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl wrote this classic text using his experiences and revelations as a holocaust prisoner as the basis for a new type of therapy. This book makes the point that the most important driving force in our lives is the compulsion to make meaning out of our experiences. Human beings have an incredible ability to take the chaotic and nonsensical events in our lives and turn them into experiences that count. Frankl argues that this ability can be fine-tuned and improved over time and that the more skilled we are at finding meaning in our lives, the happier and more functional we will be.
The Gift of Therapy by Irvin Yalom
This book, written as a series of notes by legendary therapist Irvin Yalom, provides deep insight for therapists and patients. Yalom provides clear, concise advice to therapists, illuminating different tools and ideas that therapists can put into practice. For non-therapists, this book provides a “peek behind the curtain,” providing insight into what your therapist is actually thinking about and working on when they are sitting with you.
All About Love by Bell Hooks
While not technically about therapy, many of my clients come in to talk about their relationships. While not all relationships are romantic or intimate, the more we learn about love, the more we can enjoy being in relationships with others. Hooks’ text is easy to read and thought-provoking. She elaborates on the idea that love is not only about feeling but about action. If we can learn to act more lovingly towards both ourselves and others, we can start to form the kind of relationships that we desire. Hooks also makes important points about domestic violence, assuring us that by nature, love and violence cannot coexist.
The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller
The first thing to know about this book is that it is intense. Although it’s a thin volume, Miller’s language can be clinical and complicated at times. But more than the reading level, this book really packs a punch. For anyone struggling with their relationship with family members, this book can crack you wide open. But Alice Miller’s book about how children are so often used for fulfilling the emotional needs of parents can help you understand your relationships in the current day a whole lot better. I haven’t met a person yet who didn’t see at least a piece of themselves in Miller’s writing.
How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh
Another series of notes, this one is written by the late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Hanh was a revolutionary thinker and one of the foremost writers about Buddhism for Western audiences. In his “How To” series, the author offers notes about loving, eating, sitting, relaxing, and fighting. I recommend all of them. Within each short, illustrated page is a kernel of wisdom, tools that we can put into practice right then and there. I often offer these notes as tools for my clients. I have had a lot of success with them myself.
Thank you for reading my reading list. If you have any questions about these titles, or if you read them and want to discuss them, don’t hesitate to reach out!
